It was a heartbreaking loss for the Baltimore Ravens Thursday night against the Kansas City Chiefs, 27-20, where quarterback Lamar Jackson has been receiving flack for missing some key throws down the stretch. As Jackson and the Ravens look to clean up their mistakes, Ryan Clark of ESPN made a comparison of the signal-caller to his NBA counterpart in Denver Nuggets star Russell Westbrook.
People might initially question why the comparison is made between Jackson and Westbrook, but Clark would equate that while both players of their respective sport will have great games, they shudder when facing off against rivals. For Jackson, it's against Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes as Clark compares that to Westbrook and Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard, famously known for his time with the Portland Trail Blazers.
“We've been talking basketball, we're talking about Kevin Durant, Lamar Jackson right now is like Russell Westbrook, right? We watch Russell Westbrook,” Clark said, “throughout the regular season and even in the playoffs have these great statistical games, have this huge impact on what teams are doing. But you remember when he and Dame Lillard went head to head and it got emotional, he couldn't make a shot, right? Everything he was trying to aim, every time he was open, it was hitting the back of the iron. It wouldn't go in. And what did Dame Lillard do at the end of the game? Dame little side step shot the three, and he hit us with [the wave].”
Ryan Clark talks difference of Ravens' Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes
Clark would continue about the performance of Jackson who in the Week 1 opener, threw for 273 yards to go along with a touchdown pass and rushed for 122 yards on the ground. While he made some impressive plays Thursday, Clark would say the few mistakes made defined the entire game for him compared to his counterpart in Mahomes who threw for 291 yards and a touchdown.
“That's the difference right now between Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes,” Clark said. “He can do so much and he did so much last night, and it's almost that you feel bad killing him about those two throws because of what he did, but that's the position. If I play lockdown defense at the cornerback position the entire game and then I give up a deep ball in the two minute drive I'm wrong. I have cost.”
There is no doubt that the game was a frustrating one as the Ravens literally lost by a toe which is in reference to the last play where Jackson looked to have complete it to tight end Isaiah Likely, but his foot touched the out of bounds line by a tiny amount. Continuing on the “rivalry” between Jackson and Mahomes, people have said that the Chiefs are the Ravens' “kryptonite” which the reigning MVP denied after the game according to NBC Sports.
“It ain't my kryptonite. It's not my kryptonite. It's not my kryptonite,” Jackson said. “The whole game gives me encouragement, because I believe our guys were fighting. Unfortunately there were penalties almost every time we had an explosive.”
The Ravens open the season 0-1 on the season and look to bounce back in Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders next Sunday.
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